Renown, controversial Hazleton mayor, Lou Barletta at the Scranton St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Reprinted from Wilkepedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Barletta

In 2006, Barletta made headlines for his efforts to stop illegal immigration in Hazleton vowing to make the city “one of the toughest places in the United States” for illegal immigrants. Barletta introduced and the city council approved the Illegal Immigration Relief Act. The ordinance allowed the city to deny a business permit to employers who hired illegal immigrants and gave the city authority to fine landlords up to $1,000 for leasing to illegal immigrants. The act also made English the official language of Hazleton, prohibiting city employees from translating documents into any language without official authorization. Barletta was criticized for the act by immigrant right organizations and sued in Federal Court by the ACLU and Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. In July 2007, Judge James M. Munley ruled that the act was unconstitutional for interfering with Federal immigration laws and violating the due process of individuals, employers and landlords. Barletta faced Kanjorski for a second congressional race in 2008. Multiple polls had shown Barletta leading Kanjorski by as many as 5 percentage points, and the race has been pegged as one of the nation's most competitive leading into the November elections. That race was one of very few nationwide where a Republican challenger had a credible chance at unseating an incumbent Democrat. Barletta lost to Kanjorski 48%-52%, largely due to losing Lackawanna County by 12,800 votes. Barletta won the territory that had been in the district prior to the 2000s round of redistricting by almost 4,000 votes.

Photo by Michael Weinberg Photography of Scranton and Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania.